Prince George's Co. family wants answers after ceiling collapse

A Prince George's County family wants answers the ceiling in their apartment collapsed.

It all happened Wednesday at the Brown family's apartment unit at the Forest Village apartment complex in Suitland.

Kimberly Brown told WUSA9 she was out picking up her daughter from dance practice when she got a call from her other daughter that the ceiling had collapsed in a bedroom.

Luckily, no one was hurt, but Brown said her children spend a lot of time in the room where the collapse occurred.

"It's scary," she said. "Because at any time, all four of our kids are in there playing."

Following the collapse, the Browns have expressed frustration with the owner of the complex, Grady Management Inc. They claim the company has not done enough to help them following the incident.

"You're not helping us with storage or moving," said Kimberly's husband Miguel Brown. "You're not even helping us with a place to stay."

The President of Grady Management Inc., Brian S. Alford, released the following statement Friday evening:

"It is our understanding that on Wednesday night at approximately 10 pm management was notified through the emergency answering service of an unfortunate and unexpected incident and we acted immediately. It is our understanding that no resident was hit or injured during the event and that the resident decided to stay with family the night of the incident. The maintenance on call cleaned up debris and a contractor was called and on site at 8 am the following day. Repairs have continued to be made and will be completed over the weekend with the resident meeting with management on Monday. Management offered to cover expenses for the resident to stay in a hotel which was agreed upon by the resident. Management will continue to work with the resident to reach a satisfactory arrangement."

However, the Browns disagree with many of the company's claims.

The Browns said they were twice denied access to a hotel that would be paid for by Grady Management Inc. They said when the company finally changed its mind, they were informed they would only be reimbursed for up to 600 dollars for their hotel stay. On top of that, the Browns said they were told they had to purchase their hotel stay on their own and then offer Grady Management Inc. receipts of their stay to get their money back.

"That's maybe only a few days of stay," said Miguel Brown. "So, that's not okay."

For now, the Browns plan to stay with their family as Grady Management Inc. continues to make repairs to the unit where the collapse occurred.

Some repairs have already been to the ceiling that collapsed. However, even after those changes, Prince George's County's Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement placed a notice on the door of the unit saying it was "unfit for human habitation, vacate immediately".